


Grief and Hope

by klutzyZombie



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: BulmaxVegeta, F/M, Vegebul, in which Vegeta learns he cares, thats right its another 'how they got together' fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 18:59:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14385060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzyZombie/pseuds/klutzyZombie
Summary: It's been a month since the Cell Games and Bulma is trying to adjust to a 'normal' life without Goku. When Trunks' cries call her into the nursery one night, she’s greeted with someone she hasn't seen in weeks watching over his son. Vegeta seem's to have something on his mind and the genius has a hunch she knows what it is. Only, how do you ask someone like Vegeta to open up about missing someone he swears he hates?Two chapter fic from both Bulma and Vegeta's point of view.





	1. Chapter 1

Night had fallen over the Capsule Corp. compound about five hours ago and with a sigh, Bulma flopped back on her bed after a much needed shower. She’d been in the lab and lost track of time once again. She was quite good at that really and now that the world was back to normal, she was finally able to focus on actual work projects for business instead of de-bombing androids or helping her future son with time machine repairs.

That thought brought a frown across her lips. ‘Normal’. What a strange thing to think because she felt like the world was anything but. It had been almost a month since the battle with Cell and two weeks since Trunks returned to his own time. The world was relaxing and had shuffled back on happily, only knowing the threat of Cell was gone. They didn’t think at the loss it cost them. Didn’t realize they’d lost one of the purely good people the planet or universe ever had to offer.

It had been a month since Cell’s defeat. And a month since Goku’s death.

There was nothing they could do to bring her idiotic best friend back. The world was at peace, but Bulma and the rest of the Z fighters were at anything but. They were trying, sure. It wasn’t the first or second time they’d lost Goku, no. But it was the first time they knew they wouldn’t ever see him again. ChiChi was now a single mother of a boy who had to step up and finish the fight, only to watch his father sacrifice himself for the Earth again. The Son family was aching in ways Bulma wouldn’t even pretend to understand.

Though that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurting either. Goku was her first true friend and because of him, she had some of the greatest adventures of her life, met so many amazing people and creatures, befriended people she knew she’d never get the chance to without him, and in a way, wouldn’t have had her son if not for knowing Goku. So yes, Bulma wasn’t yet over Goku being gone. She was trying to do what the rest of the world was doing; move on and smile. It’s what Goku would have wanted. It was just hard and with the Z fighters scattered everywhere, it wasn’t exactly like she had anyone she could talk to this about.

So she worked. Which was why now, after hours upon hours of it, she was suddenly feeling all of these thoughts come back. They were easy enough to block out when her mind was busy with equations and machinery. Once she stopped however, reality sank back in so in turn Bulma tried to sink further back into her bed. The heiress’ room and bed were large for a single person and never once in her life had she wished she could share this space with someone more. Someone to talk to and know they understood seemed like a wonderful thing to have right about now. At least two years ago on a night like this, Yamcha would have understood her pain. Sure he was a jerk sometimes, but she wasn’t without fault. She knew he’d listen if she called him up, but after all that had happened – the baby belonging to the man who he died trying to defeat sleeping across the hall – made her a little hesitant to pick up the phone.

So she laid alone in her dark, quiet room, watching the fan blades spin before curling onto her side and trying to force herself to sleep. Dwelling on how lonely or sad she felt wasn’t going to make her feel better. Sleep was the cure all for the moment. Sleep and in a few hours coffee then back to work. Deadlines for her job should be her real stressor. She nodded slightly as if agreeing with herself and started to drift off until the baby monitor beside her bed came to life with faint whimpers. She opened an eye and looked at the thing, wondering if maybe Trunks would simply fall back asleep. He wasn’t crying yet so there was a good chance he’d drift back off. He’d seemed fussier than usual as of late and Bulma couldn’t help but think maybe he was picking up on her mood. Which of course made her feel worse and made her decision. Besides, baby or not, she didn’t really want to be alone right now. She pushed her tired body up and slipped her feet into the pair of fluffy pink slippers by her bed. She grabbed her robe on the way out, tying it around herself as she stepped into the hallway and over towards Trunks’ nursery.

She slid the door open with a small yawn, about to start speaking to soothe the boy’s whines when a figure by his crib made her freeze. Her heart stopped for a moment and reflex had her reaching for the small button by his door that would sound the alarms. The only thing that had stopped her were the all too familiar spiked tuffs of hair she could make out in the faint light of Trunks’ nightlight. For a moment longer she stood there, letting her eyes adjust more. Part of her was still considering hitting that button if she was being honest. Why was he here? After an internal debate though, her body finally relaxed and she regained her voice enough to speak as she let her hand slowly fall away. “Vegeta?” He didn’t respond and honestly she hadn’t expected him to. No response was confirmation enough and with an internal sigh of relief, she moved to the other side of the crib opposite her son’s father and reached in to pick up the sniffling boy. He was tearing up now and before he’d seen her, had been reaching up at Vegeta. She mentally wished him a sarcastic ‘good luck’ with getting affection from the man. It wasn’t until she came into view did Trunks give up and turn to his mother, reaching for her instead with watery blue eyes.

She picked him up, voice soothing and trying hard to ignore the way Vegeta watched him – and by extension her – closely. When the child was in her arms and Vegeta made no attempt to leave nor say a word, she was back on alert. It was like his presence was just telling her something wasn’t right. Not in a bad way she figured. After all she didn’t feel threatened but then again she never had by him since they landed back on Earth. No, it wasn’t like he was going to hurt them. He just seemed… off. Like there was something wrong with him. But Bulma wasn’t about to ask him and scare him off after he’d stepped foot in Trunks’ room for the first time in their son’s life. Least he was acknowledging the boy. Sort of. So no matter the vibes he was putting off, she was smart enough to know asking ‘whats wrong’ was only going to end in him huffing out with some harsh remark.

“Sorry if he woke you.” She said instead as she watched him for a moment longer before turning and walking over to the rocking chair in the corner. “I tried to get here soon as I heard him getting upset.” She was mainly talking because unlike him, she didn’t do silences. And above all the weird feeling she was getting was making her uncomfortable. Bulma talked when she was uncomfortable. Well, Bulma talked regardless of how she felt, but even more so then.

Though, she hadn’t been expecting a response. So when one came, she paused mid-step not sure it had actually happened. “He didn’t wake me.”

Bulma turned to look at him over her shoulder as if imploring him to say more. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was honestly happy to see him. He’d only came around once that she knew of and it was the day Trunks left for his timeline. Then he’d vanished again. The only confirmation she had had that he wasn’t dead too had been the others word. When he had come back, he hadn’t said anything. Just waited until their son left and as she turned to see him, he was gone again. So now she was hoping maybe he’d actually stay. After all he’d actually spoken to her and in defense of Trunks no less. Before the Cell incident he’d done nothing but yell for her to quite him down as ‘his infernal cries were interfering with training’.

But Vegeta didn’t say more and had let his eyes fall back to the now crib so Bulma frowned slightly trying not to show visibly how disappointed that made her. Which was silly. She shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t say more. It was Vegeta after all. So she sat down and started rocking Trunks when it was clear that was only that was going to be said. She wanted to press him on where he’d been or why he hadn’t come home or even ask why he had. Ask why he was in Trunks’ room or what was with the weird vibe he was giving off. Normally she wouldn’t have any problem slipping into some little fight. That’s what they did and it was always a sure fire way to get Vegeta to talk to her. Banter was their small talk before Cell.

At the moment though, she couldn’t bring herself to make a dig at him. No comments about how he smelled or looked, the rips in his clothes, nothing. She wanted to talk sure, Bulma lived for talking. Just, right now she didn’t know what to say. Vegeta was still standing there while she rocked a still upset Trunks in the otherwise silent bedroom. Something really wasn’t right.

Maybe he missed Goku too.

That thought seemed to filter in from nowhere and briefly made her still her rocking. Could that be it? She had been sitting in her lab wallowing in self-pity for a month because she missed her best friend. Feeling sorry for herself because life just wouldn’t be the same without that smiling goofball around. Maybe she had been being more selfish then she realized. Maybe- no. She knew he did. Vegeta missed him to.

With that realization, Bulma turned her eyes down to the baby who was starting to quiet down, letting her gaze take in all the features that made him a mirror image of his father as she spoke. “I miss Goku.” She heard Vegeta scoff quietly. His usual response when someone called him ‘Goku’. Bulma went on though, not really wanting to egg on the fight over his ‘true name’ at the moment. “Life just doesn’t feel right without him.”

And with the words finally spoken aloud it was like the flood gates opened and she focused hard on the face of her son, trying to ignore that his image was getting blurry. “It feels like we got robbed of him. He saved us all again and then just- disappears. He was my best friend and now he’s just-…”

“Dead.” Vegeta supplied, voice cold but not gruff. It was missing its venom and though Bulma wanted to wince at his bluntness, she didn’t. Only nodded solemnly while bringing a hand up to wipe her eyes before the tears spilled down her cheeks and onto Trunks.

“Yeah.” This was the longest – and calmest – conversation she’d had with Vegeta in, well, ever and she was willing to bet he needed this the same if not more than her. After all, he was still here and not berating her for ‘crying over the fool’ like she had expected him to. She glanced over at him and the look on his face confirmed her suspicions. The constant scowl he seemed to always wear seemed more forced. He looked like he wanted to break it down but was too proud to do so which didn’t surprise her. He was a warrior and didn’t show emotion. Never had and she knew that going into the night they fell in bed together. She knew good and well what she had been getting into. Knew when she stopped seeing him as a ‘stress relief’ and more of a ‘partner’ he wasn’t going to open up. It wasn’t in his nature or blood. They weren’t wired that way.

Wait, when exactly did she start psycho-analyzing Saiyans?

Yet she also knew nobody – no matter their race or creed – was without feelings and even the mighty Prince couldn’t keep things bottled up. Maybe he just needed someone to let him know it was okay? If Frieza and the wars he forced Vegeta into were all he knew, it wasn’t a shock he was guarded. That in mind, Bulma focused back on their son as she spoke up once more. “I haven’t really talked to anyone about it. It feels like my parents don’t fully grasp the severity of it and it seems selfish to talk to ChiChi about missing him. The other fighters are scattered and moving on with their lives and there aren’t a lot of people outside of that group that can fully grasp just how special Goku was.

“For a while I felt selfish for missing him so much and being angry he left, ya know? How could I be mad at him for saving the world at the cost of his life? But I was. I am. But… I think it’s okay to feel like that. Feeling mad or betrayed or… hurt even.” Vegeta scoffed again and Bulma forced herself not to snap at him for it. Least not yet. That wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead she took a deep breath and gathered all her courage for what she was going to say next. The less aggregation there was in her voice with this statement, she hoped the less defensive Vegeta would be. “I know your relationship with him isn’t what mine is and you probably can’t relate to it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t understand what it means to miss him too.”

“I don’t miss that idiot!” Vegeta snapped and Bulma winced at his tone as it seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet compound. It was one thing to pretend you didn’t have feelings but if he upset Trunks again she’d kick his ass for it! “Kakarrot was the selfish one! That fool” There it was. “went and killed himself to take out Cell when he could have just waited for back up! Used that blasted spirit technique or not let Cell toy with him and believe his lies!”

Oh how badly Bulma wanted to call him on that and she made a mental note to absolutely do just that in the future. Not now though. She was willing to bet this was the closest Vegeta had ever gotten to letting out his feelings – that weren’t rage – and so long as Trunks didn’t get upset by his father’s borderline yelling, she damn sure wasn’t going to speak up about him being a hypocrite and ruin it. “He should have finished the fight! That bastard didn’t have to leave it like a coward!”

“He wasn’t a coward, Vegeta! He sacrificed himself for us! For you!” Well, she tried staying patient. She should get half credit for that, right?

Vegeta scoffed again, arms folding over his chest as he turned his head away from her. “I didn’t ask him to do such a foolish thing.”

“That’s just it. It’s Goku. Nobody has to ask him to do anything. He does it because he cares about this planet and the people on it.” Bulma sighed to try and calm down, looking back down at Trunks. He was able to help her reign in that famous Bulma Briefs temper. Good thing the kid was used to sudden explosive things as his dad’s temper and hers were going to give the kid hell otherwise. “And that includes you.”

“Tch, don’t lump me in with you-“

“With us what, his friends? Get off your high horse, bub! It doesn’t matter how you want to view him; Goku considered you a friend. Probably one of his closer one’s, Kami knows why. So the sooner you get that through your stupid monkey skull, the sooner you can stop brooding and grieve with the rest of us.”

That snapped his attention back towards her and for some awful reason she felt more at ease like this. Least he was back to bickering with her. Sensitive subject or not. He was still standing there in this room with her instead of just taking off after getting the last word in. Maybe this was helping him in some messed up way? “The Prince of all Saiyans doesn’t brood and he certainly doesn’t grieve!”

“You aren’t the Prince of Saiyans anymore!” Bulma snapped back and it wasn’t until the shocked look on Vegeta’s face turned to rage did she think ‘shit’. The words had left her mouth before she even registered thinking them. God she really did need some sort of verbal filter sometimes.

“What?!”

Oh well. They words were out now so she may as well roll with it. “You heard me!” Bulma snapped back, not about to let it show she hadn’t meant to say it aloud. Well she’d succeeded in making the strange feelings he was giving off disappear and be replaced with rage! That was… well at least more normal for him but not what she had intended. With a loud huff, Bulma turned her gaze away from him. When she spoke next, her voice was considerably softer but no less assertive than it had ben moments ago. “You aren’t a Prince anymore, Vegeta. You have a child now. An heir. That makes you a King, doesn’t it?”

Boy did that shut Vegeta up. For the first time since she’d known him, he was silent. No retort right away, no insult or raised voice about her being stupid. Bulma was met with nothing but silence and she wanted to look over at him again and see what a speechless Vegeta looked like but couldn’t bring herself to. Not at the moment anyway. If she wasn’t already emotionally exhausted and on unsure footing here, she would have loved to rub this in his face. The mighty Vegeta was speechless and any other time she would have loved to etch that image into her mind and blackmail him with it for years to come.

Right now though, she was considering her own words as she was sure Vegeta was. She hadn’t really realized it until she said it either but she was right. Vegeta hadn’t been a prince in years. Once his father had died, didn’t that make him King of the Saiyans? If not, now that he had an heir that surely cemented him as a king. She gazed down at the small child whose eyes were finally starting to grow heavy with sleep. Looked at the shape of his brows that while being the same shade of purple as her father’s, were a replica of Vegeta’s. The way blue eyes were filled with stubborn determination not to sleep like Vegeta’s when he had come-to and demanded to get back to training after the explosion. That stubborn pride Trunks had when he tried walking and refused to have his grandmother help him up. If not for the hair and eye color, Trunks could pass for his stubborn father’s younger double.

He was so much like his dad and Bulma knew that should worry her given Vegeta’s rather violent past, but all she could do was smile at these realizations. For all the bad in him, Bulma knew these traits could be good. Knew this for a fact and nobody could dispute it. Her future son was proof of it! The older version of the boy in her arms was what she imagined Vegeta would have been had he not been robbed of a childhood and forced into war. If he could have had the love and affection growing up Goku had. Trunks was kind and determined, sweet and stubborn when it came to seeing the good in people. He had all of Vegeta’s good traits. Things only she and Goku were capable of seeing. Not even Vegeta himself would consider them that, but they were.

“Surely even you can admit how proud of our son you are. He became a super Saiyan at a young age! Protected me and the rest of the people in his time line best he could. Trained his ass off to get stronger and even I could tell the difference in strength he had when he left here.” Her eyes were full of pride as she grinned down at the baby in her arms. Trunks just gave her a sleepy yawn so she turned her attention to Vegeta now, smile still on her lips. “If he’s not worthy to be the great Vegeta’s heir then-“

“I watched him die.”

“What?”

“Trunks. My…” Hesitation. “Our son. I watched him die.” Bulma’s smile faded within seconds. Vegeta’s gaze had gone back to the empty crib so Bulma’s fell to the baby in her arms.

“Why didn’t… I… know…”

“Cell shot him through the heart. Right in front of us. In front of me!” Vegeta’s snapped out the last bit so loudly Bulma flinched and instinctively brought the baby closer to her. “The bastard killed my own son in front of my very eyes and I did nothing to stop him! I couldn’t protect my only child from a simple ki blast!” He slammed his fist down on the edge of Trunks’ crib. It creaked slightly, but luckily Bulma had reinforced it for her half-Saiyan child. All his hit did was leave a dent but the affect it was having on Bulma was much more severe. She turned her attention to him, eyes wide and watery for the words Vegeta was saying and how strongly he was reacting. Did he… did he actually care about Trunks?! She had always hoped he would come to love the boy but…

“I could do nothing but stand there like a slack-jawed buffoon while my only son- my heir died at my feet. I could not even get my revenge for him! I was swatted down like a fly! It was Kakarrot’s brat who landed the lasting blows. Kakarrot who was able to save his own son from death. Kakarrot who has now bested me in combat and able to save his son when I could not even defend mine!” Vegeta was fuming and while part of Bulma wanted to celebrate how much Trunks meant to this stoic distant man, she couldn’t bring herself to dwell on that joy. Instead she just listened and watched him with sad eyes, trying not to shake while she held her child- their child close to her chest.

Vegeta spoke again, but his voice was quiet. Almost defeated as he let his eyes close. “What sort of king would allow that? To have his own son slaughtered at his feet and be saved by a third rate Saiyan and his half-breed brat?”

Bulma didn’t know what to do for a moment. This hadn’t been the confession of fatherly love she had been hoping for. No mother hoped for the death of their child to make the father realize what he had. It wasn’t an ideal situation in the slightest but that guilt seemed to be weighing at Vegeta more than it was nagging at her. One look at his posture, the way gloved hands gripped the side of the thankfully empty crib, the turmoil behind dark eyes, and anyone would be able to see how much this was tearing him apart.

And before she thought about it, Bulma was on her feet and walking over to the prince- the king. He didn’t glance at her, didn’t acknowledge she had moved closer until she was at his side. “I don’t know much about Saiyan’s and how they rule. I don’t know and I won’t pretend to. But I do know about parenting and about traits a good king – and father – should have.” That earned her Vegeta’s attention and she gave him smile, one she hoped looked as hopeful and thankful as she felt. “And the rage you feel? The guilt at not being able to protect him? Wanting more than anything to be there for your child? That makes you more suited to be a father and King than anything else you could ever do.”

Vegeta watched her with guarded eyes and stayed silent. Bulma didn’t know if he wanted to argue with her or was once again at a loss of words but it didn’t matter. Her smile didn’t falter and after a beat, she readjusted her hold on the half asleep child in her arms and held him out for Vegeta to take.

That did earn a reaction out of him as he took a step back looking at her like she was crazy. “Woman, what-!”

“He’s your son, Vegeta.” Bulma insisted as she took a step after him, not letting him protest. “He’s your son, your heir, our prince. He’s alive and here because of you. It doesn’t matter who finished Cell off. You fought to protect your family. What more could you ask for in a king?” He stopped backing away and focused his gaze on her instead. Watched her intently as if regarding her every word and move carefully. Bulma simply gave him another soft smile, offering Trunks to him once more. “So just hold your son and stop being so hard on yourself, homeboy.” The nostalgic name earned a noise of surprise out of him and Bulma seized the opportunity, pushing Trunks into his arms. Vegeta scrambled slightly but Bulma held his wrists, guiding his arms into the best position to cradle the boy. He was beyond tense but wasn’t fighting against her guiding him. He seemed almost terrified of hurting the boy which was a cute thought honestly! She shouldn’t be surprised the war veteran hadn’t ever held a child before. When she had him comfortably holding Trunks, she let her hands fall away with a sweet smile. “See? He’s alive and well and pleased he’s finally able to properly meet his father.”

Vegeta glanced at her long enough to force out a scoff but it was void of its usual annoyance as he quickly looked back at the boy in his arms. The motions had brought Trunks out of his half-asleep state and as he looked up to see who was holding him now, an absolutely delighted giggle escaped him as he tried to reach up towards Vegeta. Bulma laughed slightly at the sight, looking up at Vegeta as she leaned towards Trunks. “That’s right, Trunks! That’s your daddy!” A noise of displeasure at the term came from the man but Bulma ignored it. “He likes to seem all rough and tough but between you and me,” She leaned in closer to stage-whisper to the baby. “I think he sorta likes tolerating us.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Vegeta snapped, thrusting the baby back into Bulma’s arms. She laughed, not at all missing the faint pink that dusted Vegeta’s cheeks but she took Trunks back none the less. Vegeta was quick to put distance between himself and them but Bulma didn’t take offense to it. How could she after everything he’d just told her? After seeing his absolute worry and concentration on how to hold his son for the first time? She moved to lay Trunks back in his crib despite his babbling now, kissing his forehead as he yawned. It wouldn’t be long until he was out like a light. And who knew. Maybe tomorrow he’d wake up to a new life with a father there to help raise then train him.

Maybe after meeting their son from the future and seeing what his neglect and absence had caused, Vegeta would decide to give this version the life the other one only dreamed of. It was a sad thought, sure, but it also carried a sense of hope with it. And didn’t that just tie the whole thing together?

She gave Trunks one more look over to make sure the baby was actually starting to doze off before she stepped over to Vegeta and once again took his wrist in her hand. His head jerked towards her and she knew there was a harsh comment about ‘man-handling royalty’ just waiting to spill so Bulma gently tugged his wrist, trying to urge him to follow her before she let his hand go and walked out of the room. She didn’t look back to see if he’d follow like she intended. If he didn’t then hope wasn’t completely lost. He’d just need time. But if he did…

Arriving back at her room, she stepped inside and untied her robe, turning around finally and smiling to see that he had indeed followed her. Though he looked unsure, he was standing there and that was enough for Bulma to close the distance. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck but made no move to kiss him, not yet. Kept her grip loose and not forceful. Just light and soft. She wasn’t trying to force him into a family roll. Not trying to make a future with someone who was just now coming around to accepting he wasn’t the only one who mattered in the universe.

She only wanted to let him know that it was okay to let his walls down sometimes. That it was okay to love his son and feel emotions other than anger and rage. Above all let him know there were people here who wanted and welcomed him. She was trying to convince him of all of this without saying a word because she couldn’t phrase it and he wouldn’t want to hear it. Wouldn’t listen even if she could. So she conveyed it with the simple embrace. It didn’t matter that he didn’t return it. He didn’t push her away and he didn’t have his arms crossed. As far as Bulma was concerned, the lack of defensive posture and the fact she still had her arms around him was his version of returning it.

And if she was being honest, the embrace was also just as much for her as him. Much as she wanted Vegeta to know he had a family and a place to call home if he chose to, she was reassuring herself that life could and would go on despite the absence that had left her heartbroken. There was hope for raising a son with the man she refused to admit she had fallen for. There was hope for a bright future for this Trunks that the future one had sacrificed everything for just to give.

So not wanting this feeling to vanish, she stepped back but let her hand trail down Vegeta’s arm and down to his own hand. Bulma took a risk and laced her fingers with his, tugging him back towards her bed. For a moment Vegeta didn’t move. Just studied her with dark eyes and for a brief second Bulma thought she’d pushed his limits but then he took a step forward and before she knew it, he was laying down beside her. Her king sized bed suddenly didn’t seem so needlessly huge and for the first time in a while, the lonely feeling was gone. She wasn’t at a loss of how to move forward or terrified of what the future held. Sure, this could be nothing more than Vegeta having a low moment and tomorrow he’d disappear again. Maybe he wouldn’t want the family life but right then none of it mattered. He was here now and she knew – even if he didn’t – that he loved their son. Regardless of if he was dad, papa, father, Vegeta, the strange man who only comes around now and then, or the person Trunks only saw from the corner of his eye when he was in danger, Bulma knew Vegeta wouldn’t let anything happen to Trunks again.

That was enough for her now. Having him drift to sleep beside her and knowing he regarded their child as something priceless he had to protect set her troubled mind at ease and for the first time since future Trunks’ warning, Bulma slept soundly. Goku was gone and she’d always miss him. But his sacrifice had given her family another shot and somehow she knew that wherever Goku was, he was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is the same events only from Vegeta's POV! Not gonna lie, the idea from this 100% came from Super and the scene where Vegeta instantly knows the correct way to hold Bulla. In Z he tells Trunks he hasn't held him since he was a baby, so I wanted to write my take on how exactly papa 'Gets knows so much about baby's while also staying true to what he says in Z. (And also throw in how I imagine he finally decides to 'settle down' with Bulma) So imagine, if you will, a Vegeta who learns how to care for a baby, but stops holding them once they're old enough to walk. Though I'm sure Bulla will be the exception.


	2. Chapter 2

The battle with Cell had shook Vegeta to his core. He wouldn’t dare admit it to anyone and didn’t even like acknowledging it to himself, but it had. His world view had been shifted. It truly had been his turning point. The great and mighty Prince of Saiyans Vegeta was forced to realize everything he’d been fighting for, every aspect of his life and past, was not what he had once thought. His rival was no longer and even if Kakarrot wasn’t gone, he’d proven time and time again he was always a step ahead of Vegeta. Always seemed to be able to push himself just an inch more in power than Vegeta could and while it infuriated him to no end, none of it mattered now as Kakarrot was gone and apparently not coming back.

Vegeta had what he wanted; he was the strongest in the universe.

Only now it was bitter. Not even bitter-sweet. Just bitter. He hadn’t achieved this goal by defeating his rival. No, he was the strongest now because said rival had saved him. Saved him! He may as well have spit on the honor and pride Vegeta valued as this was no way he wanted to achieve this goal. What was the point? It was an empty victory and not one he wanted to revel in. He’d been saved by a low-level Saiyan who shouldn’t have even survived on this planet! Was out powered at every turn and forced to watch from the sidelines time and time again as Kakarrot swept in to save the day. It enraged him but none more than the fact that the idiot was now gone and not by his own hand.

His outlook on what he stood for and where his pride was were slipping at this but none of it stung more than watching his own son die and being unable to do a thing about it. And that… that was unfamiliar territory for Vegeta. Being so bothered by a death. Caring about someone other than himself. Having to make peace that this stupid third rate’s brat had been the one to avenge his son. Vegeta had done nothing. Nothing of real impact compared to the Son’s. His own flesh and blood had died and Vegeta hadn’t reacted to save him. Hadn’t lifted a finger when the blast hit. He regarded the boy as little more than the other men standing around him watching this battle. Trunks was just another annoyance who kept calling him ‘father’ or ‘dad’. He felt nothing for the boy; no pride, no joy, no love. Nothing until that blast hit and Trunks’ last breath was red and choked out. Nothing until the gaping hole in his son’s chest fully registered. Nothing until everything this boy – his boy – had scarified to be here came to an abrupt end. Then it didn’t matter if the dragon balls could bring him back. Nothing mattered then and there as full rage and guilt took over and Vegeta was charging heartbroken and furious into a head-on attack.

Maybe that’s why now, almost a month later, Vegeta found himself back at the compound. He’d been away unsure of what to do now. He had no rival and felt like he’d failed his own blood. What right and purpose did he have now to be back in this child’s life? He’d already failed him once. Why should he get the chance to do it again? Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was him seeking out redemption. Or maybe he wanted to make sure the next thing that threatened what he refused to say he cared about wouldn’t get the chance.  

Vegeta didn’t know but he’d ended up back in this cursed city where you could hardly even see the stars. He stood on the roof, looking up at what few he could see as these thoughts raced in his mind. He wasn’t sure what to do now. Didn’t even fully know why he’d come back to this place. Just that he couldn’t stay away and couldn’t bring himself to leave. It was then he heard slight whimpers and the sound made his scowl deepen. Any other time the shrill cries he knew could and often did follow that whimper would have him flying a good distance away. In fact that’s exactly what his reflexes wanted him to do. But instead as his feet lifted off the rounded roof of the compound, his instincts took him to the balcony outside Trunks’ room. He stepped inside figuring he should feel bad that he most likely broke the lock on the sliding door, but really the woman should have better security on his son’s room.

Vegeta silently closed the door behind him and walked over to the crib that was set up in the middle of the room. The woman was smart in her designs, making the thing strong enough to endure a Saiyan child’s temper-tantrum and in the middle was a very clearly upset Trunks. He frowned slightly, annoyed that any child of his would be reduced to a whimpering mess but couldn’t bring himself to do or say anything about it. Just watched the boy until watery blue eyes seemed to register he was there and Trunks’ chubby arms reached up towards him. The child kept whimpering, babbling something incoherent between them but Vegeta didn’t move. What was he going to do? Why had he even come in here? It wasn’t like he was going to be able to reassure the boy of whatever was upsetting him so what good was he here?

Yet there he stood, watching the boy reach for him as if he knew exactly who Vegeta was. Or maybe like he didn’t know. It was then he heard the door open and the small yawn the woman let escape. He had sensed her energy moving closer and knew a month ago that would have been enough to send him fleeing the room. More accurately he guessed he wouldn’t have even been here to consider that option but now he simply stood where he was as she seemed to freeze. “Vegeta?” Her soft voice was unsure almost and he couldn’t say that he blamed her for being surprised. After all he hadn’t even intended on coming back here after the fight with Cell was over. He said nothing though and Bulma didn’t seem to wait long. She walked over to the crib when she seemed to register he wasn’t going to move and as soon as Trunks realized she was there, his attempts for Vegeta’s attention turned to Bulma as she scooped the boy up.

Vegeta’s eyes focused on the boy, something that didn’t seem to slip past Bulma’s notice as she glanced at him almost unsure. She looked exhausted on top of the uneasiness under Vegeta’s gaze. Like she hadn’t slept. A look he remembered seeing when he’d woken up from the first gravity room’s explosion. She had fallen asleep by his bed and when she’d woken up, that same weariness was in her eyes. He wondered what had caused it now. “Sorry if he woke you.” Bulma said quietly as she bounced the boy lightly in her arms and headed to a chair. “I tried to get here soon as I heard him getting upset.”

“He didn’t wake me.” His response surprised both of them it would seem though Vegeta was better at hiding it. Bulma paused mid step and glanced at him with wide eyes for a moment while Vegeta internally wondered why the hell he decided to speak up at all. He should be leaving, damnit! The brat’s mother was here now. What purpose did he have hanging around?

But his body refused to move so he simply stood there with his arms folded and let his gaze fall back to the now empty crib. From his peripheral vison it seemed like Bulma sighed as if disappointed he didn’t elaborate before continuing to head to the chair with Trunks. Which was strange in of itself. When did this woman ever not have something to say? She wasn’t exactly known to be quiet or not saying what was on her mind. It was something about her that drove Vegeta insane. Only good thing about it had been when he’d been able to shut her up one way or another.

Not that it mattered much now given those times were long past. It just struck him as odd that she wasn’t nagging him for being gone or prattling on about this or that. He hadn’t sensed her sleeping yet so it couldn’t be she’d just woke up. Not like that would have mattered muchgiven this woman talked in her damn sleep too. Of course the biggest thing here was why he was even questioning such a thing. What did it matter him? She was just…

“I miss Goku.” Suddenly everything else was far, far from his mind. The idiot. She’d used his stupid Earth name and everything that had been on his mind prior to this little trip ‘home’ was back. Bulma didn’t seem detoured by his scoff though as she bulldozed on as if she hadn’t realized the dip in his mood. Part of him he refused to acknowledge it was because she knew him too well and was used to it. “Life just doesn’t feel right without him. It feels like we got robbed of him in his prime. He saved us all again and then just- disappears. He was my best friend and now he’s just-…”

“Dead.” Vegeta supplied for her, knowing she wasn’t about to say it. The foolish woman was tearing up over the idiot now and was making useless attempts to stop herself from doing so. He wanted to be annoyed. Annoyed with this conversation, with her for crying over a third-rate twit, himself for letting all of this happen… But even if he wanted there to be, there was no venom or bite in his tone. Any time Kakarrot was brought up Vegeta made it a point to be disgusted. Now though, even with this woman who was crying over his death, he couldn’t bring himself to have that hate in his voice.

“Yeah.” She confirmed quietly and to her credit she’d done a fairly good job of stopping herself from slobbering all over Trunks. It annoyed him to no end that he was pleased she wasn’t crying any longer. It bothered him more than he was willing to admit that she was upset over that idiot’s demise. Hell, it bothered him that he himself was so affected by his death! All of this – caring about his son, relief the woman wasn’t upset, having felt he lost his purpose – was new, uncharted territory for the Saiyan Elite. None of this was anything he’d been prepared for or something he could fix by getting physically stronger. Just what was he supposed to do with all of these new feelings?!

Luckily – or unluckily given what she said – Bulma spoke again and brought his mind back to focus on her. “I haven’t really talked to anyone about it.” Still talking about Kakarrot. Typical. “It feels like my parents don’t fully grasp the severity of it and it seems selfish to talk to ChiChi about missing him. The other fighters are scattered and moving on with their lives and there aren’t a lot of people outside of that group that can fully grasp just how special Goku was. For a while I felt selfish for missing him so much and being angry he left, ya know? How could I be mad at him for saving the world at the cost of his life? But I was. I am. But… I think it’s okay to feel like that. Feeling mad or betrayed or… hurt even.”

He couldn’t stay silent any longer and let out a scoff. This time it did seem to upset her. He could sense her anger raise slightly but it quickly tapered back down. Was she… trying to stay calm? For him? Just what was happening with the world he knew?! This selfish woman loved picking fights and hated it when he disrespected anything she said like that. What was she trying to do? “I know your relationship with him isn’t what mine is and you probably can’t relate to it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t understand what it means to miss him too.”

“I don’t miss that idiot!” Vegeta snapped before he’d even registered he’d done it, head snapping to look at her and she flinched slightly at the shout in the otherwise silent room. That didn’t detour him much though he did go back to a more ‘reasonable’ tone of voice for now. He figured he’d be proving her point otherwise. “Kakarrot was the selfish one! That fool went and killed himself to take out Cell when he could have just waited for back up! Used that blasted spirit technique or not let Cell toy with him and believe his lies!”

He could tell she wanted to snap back at him and that it was taking a lot of will-power to stay silent. Why. Why was she forcing herself to stay patient with him? He wanted something to be normal! Wanted to have something in this stupid fourth-rate mud ball resemble what it had prior to a month ago! He’d already lost his greatest rival, failed his own flesh and blood, had his purpose of life lost, and now the only constant thing, this loud and brash woman, was acting differently! He hated it. Hated all of it! Hated having these feelings he couldn’t place and hated having the ones that he could! Hated that he’d failed to defeat any android let alone Cell, failed to surpass Kakarrot, failed to protect his son. He hated that he hated all of this and there was nothing he could do about any of it! And now to make it all worse, it was like by doing what he’d demanded she do all along, stay silent and listen to him, the woman was making everything worse!

This was all that stupid, ignorant, third-class half-wit’s fault! “He should have finished the fight! That bastard didn’t have to leave it like a coward!”

“He wasn’t a coward, Vegeta! He sacrificed himself for us! For you!”

There was that temper of hers and with it, a wave of almost calm actually hit him. Well, sort of. Vegeta scoffed again, arms folding over his chest as he turned his head away from her. “I didn’t ask him to do such a foolish thing.” He was more than pleased she’d let that temper back out, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to argue.

“That’s just it. It’s Goku. Nobody has to ask him to do anything. He does it because he cares about this planet and the people on it.” She sighed as if trying to reign her temper back in and it was alarming how much he didn’t want that. “And that includes you.”

“Tch, don’t lump me in with you-“

“With us what, his friends? Get off your high horse, bub! It doesn’t matter how you want to view him; Goku considered you a friend. Probably one of his closer one’s, Kami knows why.” Vegeta kept his head facing away from her. He wasn’t even going to honor that statement with a response or by meeting her gaze. Mostly because he knew she was right; the idiot considered himself and Vegeta friends. “So the sooner you get that through your stupid monkey skull, the sooner you can stop brooding and grieve with the rest of us.”

He jerked his not furious gaze back to face her and her stupid-unphased-by-his-temper self. “The Prince of all Saiyans doesn’t brood and he certainly doesn’t grieve!”

“You aren’t the Prince of Saiyans anymore!”

And just like that his almost happiness at her going back to fighting with him was gone and what was left of his pride flared up at being insulted. “What?!”

To her creed, she looked almost as shocked at her own words as he was for all of .5 seconds before she narrowed her own gaze on him. Well he’d gotten his wish about her going back to bickering with him and he was back to wishing she’d actually respect him. Least things were getting ‘normal’. “You heard me! You aren’t a Prince anymore, Vegeta. You have a child now. An heir. That makes you a King, doesn’t it?”

Oh. /Oh./ For a moment his mind didn’t process anything. It was numb almost and he only let his gaze fall back to the empty crib on instinct to try (and fail) to hide this fact from her. He was... He was a king. He’d never once realized that but she… was right. He was a king. Had been since he was a child and even had an heir! He was a king and it took this woman to make him aware of that. Aware that he had been boasting of being a prince for years when he could count the surviving members of his proud race on one hand. And now… Now he was king of this glorious race and he was the only one left. King of all of one Saiyan.

No… No that wasn’t entirely the case. He allowed his gaze to go back towards the woman and the small child in her arms trying his best to fight off sleep. The child who resembled him in so many ways. The child who would grow to finish off the Galaxy’s greatest threat like it was nothing. The child who Vegeta let die.

“Surely even you can admit how proud of our son you are. He became a super Saiyan at a young age! Protected me and the rest of the people in his time line best he could. Trained his ass off to get stronger and even I could tell the difference in strength he had when he left here. If he’s not worthy to be the great Vegeta’s heir then-“

“I watched him die.”

“What?”

“Trunks. My…” He hesitated, eyes going to the ground as he turned his head away from her. “Our son. I watched him die. Cell shot him through the heart. Right in front of us- in front of me!” Vegeta snapped out the last bit so loudly Bulma flinched and instinctively brought the baby closer to her. “The bastard killed my own son in front of my very eyes and I did nothing to stop him! I couldn’t protect my only child from a simple ki blast!” He slammed his fist down on the edge of the crib and it creaked but didn’t budge otherwise. The woman had apparently reinforced done her research on metals to use. All that he’d done was leave a dent in it which while reassuring he hadn’t destroyed his son’s bed, didn’t do much to help ease his anger.

“I could do nothing but stand there like a slack-jawed buffoon while my only son- my heir died at my feet. I could not even get my revenge for him! I was swatted down like a fly! It was Kakarrot’s brat who landed the lasting blows. Kakarrot who was able to save his own son from death. Kakarrot who has now bested me in combat and able to save his son when I could not even defend mine!” He lifted a fist as if to hit the thing again but caught himself.

No, he didn’t hit anything, didn’t blow anything up, only dug his nails so hard into his palms he could feel blood trickling under his gloves. He forced himself to calm down before speaking again and uncurled his fists to rest his hands on the metal frame of Trunks’ crib. Granted he gripped it so tightly he wouldn’t be surprised of indents would be left, it at least gave him something to focus on that would further ruin his clothes. When he spoke again his own voice would be unrecognizable to even himself. It was soft and quiet and… shameful. “What sort of king would allow that? To have his own son slaughtered at his feet and be saved by a third rate Saiyan and his half-breed brat?”

A silence fell back over the room. Bulma was, for once, at a loss of words it would seem and Vegeta had nothing more he wanted to say. He hadn’t even wanted to admit what he had let alone allow anyone to see how affected he was by it! It didn’t matter if he felt relieved now that it was out there. He didn’t care that it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. He’d admitted a weakness to someone and told the mother of his child that he’d failed to even protect their son! So the quietness in the room was what they were left after his admission of failure and weakness. It stretched on for what seemed like hours until he heard the soft sound of Bulma getting to her feet. He refused to look at her. His pride was already low, he didn’t want to face her right now and see the anger or mock in her eyes. He wished now he’d just stayed away from the stupid compound; left this awful planet! What was there for him here? He clearly didn’t belong and-

Why was she moving closer to him? He kept his gaze away still until she was standing beside him. Was she going to slap him? He’d seen her strike Kakarrot and the other fighters. Knew she packed a punch when she was properly furious and thought maybe that’s what she was about to do and honestly he wouldn’t have blamed her.

But the hit never came. Instead what he got was an unusually soft spoken Bulma, voice calm and comforting despite the obvious fearful and sad emotions he knew she had twirling inside. “I don’t know much about Saiyan’s and how they rule. I don’t know and I won’t pretend to. But I do know about parenting and about traits a good king – and father – should have.” That earned her Vegeta’s attention. He turned to look at her trying to keep the awe off his face and make his expression neutral but wasn’t sure he was succeeding. “And the rage you feel? The guilt at not being able to protect him? Wanting more than anything to be there for your child? That makes you more suited to be a father and King than anything else you could ever do.”

Once again this, this woman had him speechless. She should be angry with him! Be calling him every Earth swear she could think of and making some up in the process like he’d seen her do in the past! He’d let their son die and here she was telling him it was okay! Well no, he guessed that wasn’t exactly what she was saying, but it was a foreign concept to him as if she had been. He’d expected her to hate or blame him, to tell him to leave and never come back. Instead she was standing here telling him he was a good father. This woman truly was an enigma.

And as if to prove this theory, she took another step towards him and attempted to hand him Trunks. “Woman, what-!”

“He’s your son, Vegeta.” Bulma insisted, not seeming to be detoured by his backing away. “He’s your heir and our prince. He’s alive and here because of you. It doesn’t matter who finished Cell off. You fought to protect your family. What more could you ask for in a king?” Vegeta stopped at that. She seemed genuine in her words and as he mentioned she wasn’t exactly known for keeping her true thoughts to herself. Did she truly not resent him and actually think /better/ of him? “So just hold your son and stop being so hard on yourself, homeboy.”

Memories of arriving back on Earth flashed through his mind at the name. He focused on her just as confused now at the affectionate name as he had been then. Why was this silly woman not-?!

His train of thought on this anomaly of a woman was halted in its tracks as she pushed Trunks into his arms. He fumbled to hold the child but Bulma guided his arms. He wanted to shrug her off, hand Trunks back to her and get the hell out of there as soon as possible but once again he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to do anything more than let her move him like a doll. He watched the boy carefully as if he was terrified he’d hurt him. He’d never held a child before let alone one he knew could be as fragile as his mother. “See? He’s alive and well and pleased he’s finally able to properly meet his father.”

He scoffed again at her words but when he felt movement in his arms he quickly looked back down at Trunks. The boy seemed to be waking back up having shifted people and when he saw Vegeta, his little face lit up. He let out a small giggle and reached his chubby arms up towards him like he had earlier. This small, squishy boy was far from the warrior Vegeta had fought and trained beside. Nowhere near the man who had sacrificed so much only to die at Vegeta’s feet. He wasn’t at all like him and Vegeta swore then, watching the boy babble up at him with nothing but adoration, he’d make sure this version of his son never had to.

Unaware of this, Bulma smiled brightly at the sight and leaned to be closer to them both. “That’s right, Trunks! That’s your daddy!” A noise of displeasure at the term left him but unsurprisingly Bulma ignored it. She was way too good at not being intimidated by him. Really, it should bother him more than it did. “He likes to seem all rough and tough but between you and me,” She leaned in closer to ‘whisper’ to the boy. “I think he sorta likes tolerating us.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” He pushed the boy back into her arms but waited a moment longer than he would have to make sure she had a firm grasp on him before he quickly distanced himself from the pair. He hoped he’d been at least a little sly at handing him back but given Bulma’s giggle, he didn’t think so. He could feel a slight flush heating his cheeks and quickly looked away from them both while she placed Trunks back in his crib. Of all times, Vegeta knew now he should be leaving. He’d embarrassed himself more times in the past hour than he had in his life time. Showed this woman a side of him nobody – living or dead – had ever had the ‘privilege’ of seeing.

A soft weight on his wrist snapped his attention back and he glared at her but Bulma was once again unphased. She simply gave him another smile and lightly tugged his hand before slowly letting it go as she stepped away and walked out of the room. It was a clear invitation to follow her and for a moment he debated it. What exactly did it mean if he did? What would she expect from him after that? He could always leave, sure. There was no way she could stop him. But what little of his pride was left knew he couldn’t do that. She was the mother of his son and the first being he’d come across who could match his wit and wasn’t afraid to go head-to-head with his temper. Vegeta knew that following her after everything he’d said, the confessions of weakness and guilt, there would be no way he could leave.

He glanced over at the crib where Trunks had seemed to finally give in to sleep. Looked at the light purple hair that while at first had disgusted him now didn’t matter. How already he had a knack for Vegeta’s strength and Bulma’s wit and before he realized it, Vegeta had stepped across the hall and into the bedroom he hadn’t been inside of since the boy was born. Bulma turned after shrugging her robe off and when she saw him, the smile she gave made him realize the decision on where he was going to end up was made. His fate was sealed when this head-strong woman demanded he take a shower and wear that god awful pink shirt.

Bulma carefully rested her hands on his shoulders and he wondered if she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. No, maybe he wasn’t sure what he wanted out of this. There was still a lot of new things he still had to sort through but at least now he had some form of an anchor and purpose in life again. Maybe it was in the form of a slender blue-haired loud-mouthed woman with brilliant azure eyes and maybe his purpose was just a small, purple-haired half-breed, but it was a start and surprisingly he was perfectly content with this life.

No, he didn’t think he could be the ‘family man’ he’d seen on TV or the devoting husband type. Wasn’t sure he was even ready to move out of his small room by the gravity chamber. But right here and now, with this gorgeous woman who saw something in him urging him to follow her to bed, he wasn’t worried about any of that. There was a lot he was going to have to figure out, a lot of life changes and views he was going to have to rethink, but that could wait. Bulma curled up to rest her head on his chest, one leg resting over his own like she had tried every other time they shared a bed. Back then he’d always push her away and either roll away away or leave. He never had been a fan of her wanting to be close to him. Now though her closeness was like a lullaby to the rest of his senses. Her presence shut down any and every thought his mind had and any protest he wanted to make.

No, this wasn’t the life Vegeta had imagined for himself when he was younger. It wasn’t what he had wanted at any point in his life or been told to seek out. And as Bulma’s soft snores were shortly joined by his own, somewhere in his head he knew this life now was the only one he’d want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! My first ever - published - Vegebul fic! I haven't written anything in years now so this story seems a little chunky to me and I apologize for that. I don't have anyone to really proof-read for me either other than Word and while they are a true bro, some things slip past them. Regardless though, I hope you enjoyed my take on things~!!


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